Waterfalls

I have a bit of a problem... I'm in love with a country. Imagine the most breathtaking landscapes you can (include beaches, mountains and farmland), then add in some of the most diverse and beautiful people you've ever seen with incredible accents and mix them together with rich food dishes and an intense and vibrant history that is full of hope and you have the South Africa that I have experienced in the past few days. I'm here studying abroad at African Enterprise, South Africa with 28 other people (25 girls and 3 boys) and it's still surreal to me.

We spent 14.5 hours traveling from JFK to Johannesburg and then got off the plane, ate at a mall and then went to ride roller coasters at an amusement park in order to try and adjust to the time zone. The next morning was spent at the apartheid museum in Joburg. It is an incredible testament to the story of those who fought against the apartheid in South Africa. There are buildings filled with history of why it was put in place, who was able to fight against it, and what happened after the apartheid ended. My heart was filled with joy as I watched black, white, colored, and Indian people walking together through the halls of this beautiful place as brothers and sisters and not as enemies separated by fear. We spent the afternoon in a large township outside of Joburg called Soweto which has a population of close to a million. I was blown away. We had a tour guide with us and we were able to take our giant coach around the township. I think I expected a small little area in the middle of nowhere with a few shanties and dirt roads. There were definitely dirt roads, but there were also paved roads and government subsidized houses right next to the tin homes for those who had nothing... but the government even gave them toilets. We had lunch at our tour guide's home which she had turned into a restaurant and enjoyed a dance from the neighbor boys.

This morning we left Joburg for the Durban airport and then took a bus to the African Enterprise, South Africa Conference Center in Pietermaritzburg. Just the drive alone was breathtaking and as we arrived on campus, small squeals escaped our lips! The campus is set in gorgeous green hills spotted with white picturesque buildings surrounded by waterfalls and magnificent trees everywhere you look. We did some orienting to the campus and were placed in our chalets. Mine is a single room on the bottom floor with a small window that overlooks a waterfall. A little piece of heaven!

My heart is ready to see what God has to teach me in this unfathomable place. It's a world all its own with people who have a culture that is steeped in history and family. In the last three days I have seen and experienced things that I haven't been able to understand or comprehend but I pray that God will reveal his plan and some incredible understanding in His timing. And I’m pretty sure that’s how it’s supposed to be…